Some abnormalities are apparent at birth. Others become evident later in life. Here’s how best to help your kitten or cat.

By Tom Ewing

The vast majority of kittens that are born each year — at least those that are delivered into the homes of caring and conscientious cat owners — come into the world with all of their bodily parts intact and all of their vital systems functioning properly.

An inherited defect will often not be recognized until a cat has matured. But thankfully, the majority of kittens are born without defects.

This may or may not be the case for feral kittens — those that are born in the wild and whose health status at birth cannot be documented. And it is certainly not the case for the estimated two percent to three percent of domestic kittens that are born with an obvious physical defect or harbor a genetically or environmentally induced health disorder that will…

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